Putin remains committed to ceasefire deal: French presidency

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed in a phone call with his French and German counterparts that a ceasefire in Ukraine set to begin at midnight (2200 GMT) must be respected, the French presidency said, after a day of fresh violence.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Putin all confirmed yesterday "the need for the ceasefire scheduled for midnight to be effective", the Elysee Palace said. "Putin said the rebels were ready for the ceasefire," it added.
The statement also said the three leaders would speak by phone with Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko today to take stock of the ceasefire.